By BISI EZEKIEL

Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda's emergence in July as the preferred National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) did not take many by serious because of antecedent and silent achievements in every sphere of life he has ventured into.

From the academics to political mainstream and eventually as a serving minister and governorship candidate of the APC, his nomination and overwhelming endorsement as National Chairman of the party, his leadership ability has never been put in doubt.

The ruling All Progressives Congress under his chairmanship since July 2025, has regained stability. This shows he has a firm coordinating grip on the party.

Rather that disintegration, Yilwatda has pulled the string and cords holding the party together and has attracted many top politicians from other political parties, particularly the leading opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC under his watch early this year swept almost all the seats contested for across 12 states of the federation in the recent bye-election to fill vacant federal and states legislative seats.

Like a wildfire , the APC started consuming notable political figures including five incumbent state governors from other parties, senators and members House of Representatives who all detected to the ruling party.

Within a twinkling of an eye, the APC consolidated it's stronghold of control in both chambers of the National Assembly with highest number and ruling party has ever commanded in the National Assembly.

Like a tsunami, the spread of the party is in all 36:states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Now the APC has 32 state governors.

This depicts Yilwatda's administrative acumen and dexterity of an inclusive leadership.

He promised to deliver more states and win politicians to the APC ahead of the 2027 general election.

Prof Yilwatda said the party has become a rallying point for all political parties in the country with every politician, running to join the bandwagon.

At the collation of the presidential primary election result at the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Center, Abuja recently, he said the competition to be in the APC is quite high noting that, "you see thousands of people buying our forms. It shows how our party is accepted by Nigerians and by the people."

Speaking about the presidential primary election of the party held on Saturday, 23rd May, 2026 in all the States, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) he said: "If you see the mass turnout yesterday, Saturday, in all the congresses held to nominate the president, the numbers were in their thousands, and this is just a mock demonstration of what the general election will look like, in 2027.

"It shows clearly that no other party would win the election because the numbers turning out are in the thousands. Believe me, no political party can showcase one-tenth of what we presented in their own congresses. It shows that we are on the right path, and the winning path."

He also stated that politics is a game of power, where all contestants wants to be elected, find reasons why he should be elected, but, we as a party have internal mechanisms for conflict resolution.

"We have the presidential conflict resolution team and the party reconciliation team. So we activate them to go down to the state level and the national level to ensure quicker reconciliation, a fast healing process, and they will merge it with campaigns to ensure that we win the 2027 election," he said.

Born 8 August 1968, Prof. Yilwatda is by profession a trained engineer and academic who worked diligently in the ivory tower.

His last appointment in the university system was as the head of the ICT Unit at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi where he was the ICT director for 12 years.

Afterwards, he was appointed as the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Benue State from July 2017 to December 2021

He resigned from this position to contest in the Plateau State gubernatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress in 2022.

His Political Life

Yilwatda was selected as the coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organization in Plateau State during the 2023 general elections. He and the ex-governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong maintain a solid relationship.

After Plateau State Ministerial slot became vacant following Lalong's emergence as the senator representing Plateau South senatorial district, party chieftains and political groups canvassed for Yilwatda to be nominated to replace Lalong.

He was nominated for the position of a Minister by President Bola Tinubu and upon successful screening by the National Assembly, he was inaugurated as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs on 24 October 2024.

He challenged the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State 2023 gubernatorial election at the court. After the apex court ruled in favor of the People's Democratic Party, Yilwatda accepted the judgement.

He served as the minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development from October 2024 to July 2025.

•Bisi Ezekiel, a media professional and public analyst, writes from Lagos.

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